The art of woodblock printing
Event information
3 July 2025
17.30–18.30
Online event
Please note this event will require you to use the video conferencing system Zoom.
Free
16+
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Hear about the art of woodblock printing with Japanese printmaking scholar Matsuba Ryōko, craftsman Dave Bull and contemporary artist Koya Abe.
The major new exhibition Hiroshige: artist of the open road (open until 7 September), is a stunning portrait of Edo Japan through his masterful prints, as well as drawings, illustrated books and paintings. In this talk, delve into the fascinating collaboration required to produce Hiroshige's woodblock prints, which included engravers, printers and publishers.
Learn about how artists from the ukiyo-e school, which literally translates as 'pictures of the floating world' and depicted scenes from everyday Japan, transcended traditional conventions and navigated commercial publishing culture from Matsuba Ryōko. See how traditional printmaking techniques are preserved and shared today at Dave Bull's Tokyo-based studio, and how contemporary digital artist Koya Abe takes inspiration from the ethos of ukiyo-e artists to produce responses to modern technology and culture.
This event is part of the public programme supporting the exhibition Hiroshige: artist of the open road (1 May – 7 September).
To attend this online event
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We are hosting the event on Zoom – a free video conferencing system that requires users to register in advance. If you do not already use Zoom, you can sign up using this registration link.
If the event is fully booked, or you do not wish to use Zoom, you can also watch the event streamed live – as well as other events in the series – by subscribing to the British Museum Events YouTube channel.
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About the speakers
Matsuba Ryōko is a Lecturer in Japanese Digital Arts and Humanities at the Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures, and from April 2025 will be Professor of Digital Humanities for Arts and Cultures at Ritsumeikan University. She contributed to two British Museum exhibitions – Hokusai: Beyond the Great Wave (2017) and the Citi exhibition Manga (2019), and co-authoring the latter's book. Her more recent book Mad about Painting (2023) was named one of the New York Times' Best Art Books of 2023.
Dave Bull
Dave Bull is a British/Canadian woodblock printmaker and has been living in Tokyo since the mid-1980s, living and working as a craftsman making prints using traditional techniques. His workshop Mokuhankan plays an important role in bringing knowledge of the craft to practitioners and fans around the world.
Koya Abe
Koya Abe is a Japanese artist based in New York City. His artwork has encompassed painting, photography, digital work and video. Abe was an early adopter of digital technology for image making and his artwork incorporates both traditional and digital media. His Japanese background, technology, culture and the history of art are major subjects in his work.
Privacy policy
The personal data you provide to us on the event booking form is being collected so that we can administer the event efficiently and, if necessary, contact you with important updates about the event. It will only be used by the British Museum for this purpose, it will not be shared with any third parties and it will be securely deleted as soon as reasonably practicable and no later than a month. This privacy information does not apply to the processing of your personal data by Zoom which will be governed by the terms of the agreement made between you and Zoom when you subscribed to their service.